Morley Candy moving one location and expanding sales

It’s been a staple in Eastpointe for years, a windowless Mecca for the discriminating chocolate lover looking to satisfy a demanding sweet tooth.

But the Morley Candy store on Nine Mile Road will be closing in February, when the Clinton Township-based candymaker moves to a new, 5,000-square-feet location in St. Clair Shores that will expand its Sanders’ offerings.

The change — on its face — may not seem like a positive harbinger for fans of Morley products, who may believe the move is one that will dissolve their ability to acquire Morley treats like a milk chocolate nibbler in the mouth.

Brian Jefferson, the CEO of Morley Candy Makers and its Sanders’ division, says the Morley brand will be an integral part of the new location.

“We’re going to have Morley chocolates at the new store,” said Jefferson. “We are expanding the location in a way that does feature Sanders products — there’s going to be an ice cream fountain counter. But we will still have the candy our customers are passionate about, including the seconds that are popular with our customers. The current store doesn’t have any windows, and there’s no room for an ice cream counter,” he added. “We wanted to include all of those things in the store.”

Jefferson said the decision was made to re-open the store at a new location at 13 Mile Road and Harper to accommodate a wider range of products, offer dining-in options like the ice cream counter.

When complete, the store will be similar to the Clinton Township shop, which is attached to the company’s Hall Road headquarters and factory.

A sweet historyBoth Morley Candy and Sanders’ are beloved Michigan brands; Morley even more so in Macomb County given its headquarters in Clinton Township. For many young people, Morley candies are a staple of fundraising activities that help pay for extracurricular activities at school.

For metro Detroiters, the Sanders name is synonymous with baked goods, ice cream and toppings such as hot fudge cream puffs, buttercream cake and bumpy cake.

Morley’s most popular offerings include chocolate-covered popcorn and titans, or clusters of pecans covered in caramel and chocolate.

Morley was founded in 1919, and Sanders’ was founded in 1875. In 2002, Morley purchased Sanders with the goal of stabilizing the brand locally, and expanding its availability throughout the United States.

Those goals, Jefferson said, have been met, and then some.

“I would say that we have been able to double sales about five times over, since we took over,” said Jefferson. “It speaks highly of both of these brands that they are so successful.”

One of the reasons sales have increased is that distribution has expanded significantly throughout the country, which has made the products more readily available at grocery stores and large retailers.

Both Morley and Sanders candies are made according to their original recipes; there are no high fructose corn syrups used at the factory, and hydrogenated oils are only used for candies that include peanut butter.

Nostalgia at workJennifer Kluge, the president of the Michigan Food and Beverage Association, said both Morley and Sanders are enduring brands that evoke fond memories among Michiganders.

“I think nostalgia is the reason many companies have endured in Michigan, because there’s a story behind the brand,” she said. “We’re lucky to have brands like Morley and Sanders that have longevity, and are able to leverage quite a few positive childhood memories. It really brings back a bond.

Jefferson said that he and his team members travel to food and beverage trade events each year to continue introducing Sanders and Morley’s to retailers. He said that often, expatriate Michiganders are usually happy to see both brands.

“Every time we attend one of these events, we have people who have left the area come to us and tell us they remember Sanders or Morley,” he said. “It’s great to hear and it speaks to the quality of the product.”